In a trend that’s burgeoning across the country, newspapers are dropping their book editors and killing the space once allocated to reviews. Yup, the advertising dollar once again dictates editorial content.

Many of us in the writing world have at times damned specific critics, decried their aloofness and complained about the difficulty of obtaining objective criticism, but the thought that the publishing industry might soon function without intellectual watchdogs is frightening.

The latest additions to the book review mortuary are two of the nation’s most prestigious newspapers. The Chicago Tribune recently announced it was transferring its book section to the Saturday paper. Every journalist knows that Saturday is the weakest of the seven days in circulation (newsstand) and overall readership. Cheryl Reed, book editor of the competing Sun-Times suspects the move is the first step in eliminating the section altogether.

Sister publication to the Trib, the Los Angeles Times, also shifted its section to Saturday, including it as a portion of the paper’s Opinion Pages. Another biggie, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution has also wielded the hatchet on its review section. Only five stand-alone book sections remain from coast to coast.

Calling the trend “short sighted,” Reed compares it to “the loss of independent book stores in the shadow of the Big Box Book Chain.” She points out that “what publishers and editors don’t seem to get is that people who read books also tend to read newspapers. Our fates are tied together.”

The National Book Critics Circle is concerned enough about the trend to announce a “Campaign to Save Book reviews.” Cynics may argue that this is simply a matter of protecting their own jobs, but it does add a very prestigious voice to the debate.

Reviewer Reed sums up the problem very succinctly, “It’s about the loss of divergent opinion and one giant step toward homogenous, mass-produced, wire transmitted comment.”  Amen!

There are times when I question the decision I made to attempt self-publishing. But those times are very much the exception because this exciting and challenging mode of producing a book offers a major payoff in financial profit and the satisfaction of real accomplishment.

There is no question that preparing your book during the pre-publication stage demands a great deal of effort as you juggle the myriad tasks that confront you. There are ISBNs to order, barcodes, Library of Congress Cataloguing. You should file for a copyright. And all of this comes as you complete the final editing of the book, launch the search for reviews and endorsements and begin the early stages of promoting yourself and your work.

Help Is Available

Consultants are available to assist you in each of the many required activities or to take over and complete the entire process for you. But as you search the Internet for "Self-publishing Consultants," be wary of those that pose as consultants, but in actuality are Publishing on Demand (POD) companies. Those are two very different positions.

The consultant tackles only those portions of the process that you request and contract for. The POD house assumes the complete responsibility for production of your book. In return, it charges a substantial fee, and then sets the retail costs to supplement that fee rather substantially. Since the POD house controls the ISBN, as most do, it controls the entire financial picture of your book, leaving you with a very modest return if you want your book to be priced competitively. Nonetheless, this form of publishing can be a godsend to the neophyte who has never before tackled book production.

Conversely, when you self-publish, you run the business you have created in its entirety. In addition to the writing, production and promotion of your work, all financial decisions are yours to make. You are now a publisher, as well as a writer. You may decide to farm out a variety of tasks, but in the final analysis, you are the one supervising and responsible for the way each task is carried out.

You Can Tell a Book by Its Cover

Despite the old adage that says you can't, the appearance of your book will make an enormous difference in the rate of sale. Covers, another of your responsibilities, are key to sales. Although templates and other tools are available on the Web to help you design the cover yourself, I urge you to bypass them and hire a professional. Appearance is the last item you should skimp on.

Formatting the text within the book is almost equally important. Quality typesetting helps to assure the reader that the content, like the appearance, is professional. This task too deserves outsourcing to a pro.

Selecting the right printer for your needs is the third component of dressing up your book to attract readers. A poor print job can destroy both a good cover and an attractive interior. The quantity you plan to print will determine whether you need an offset press (more than 2,000 copies) or a digital printer for lesser quantities.

Be certain as you compare printers that the Request for Proposal (RFP) that you send out to those that interest you is identical in all aspect. If not, it will be impossible to compare them.

Reviews are, of course, an essential part of your promotional effort. If you are printing Advance Review Copies (ARCs) in an effort to capture reviews and blurbs early enough to include them in the final printing of the book, you may have to reach out for a separate printer. Your primary printer for the final run may not have the capability to produce runs as small as 50 to 100.

Making Your Book Available         

The final challenge is making your book available to interested readers. All the promotion in the world won't help if you don't make it easy for the public to purchase your precious work. There are two aspects to consider:

You will need a distributor or wholesaler to move your book into retail stores. Wholesalers basically warehouse and fulfill order both large and small. Distributors perform similar functions, but they also maintain a sales team that promotes your book to retailers. Both will dig deeply into your profits with the high fees they charge, but without their effort, you will never gain much ground in the retail world.

The second mode of moving books is called fulfillment. This operation occurs when single copies or very small orders are received. Frequently, readers are urged to order copies from your web site. You have the option of fulfilling that order and shipping it yourself or hiring a fulfillment house to do the job for you. In either case, fulfillment is far more profitable on a per-copy basis than is distribution or wholesaling.

This is just a very basic overview of the challenges and benefits of self-publishing. Future postings will similarly review tradition publishing and publishing on Demand. You can also study outstanding books on self-publishing like Dan Poynter's classic Self-publishing Manual or Peter Bowerman's Well-Fed Self-Publisher. Click on my web site www.retirement-writing.com/publishing to find more in depth articles on publishing.

A new study by Deloitte & Touche should give heart all of you who set your writing sights on young adults. No. The Internet hasn’t snared away the thousands upon thousands of younger Americans, ages anywhere from 13 up to 24, who traditionally poured over print magazines to keep abreast of the latest fashion trends, the doings of celebrities and other hot topics. A whopping 71% state they still enjoy reading magazines. They use them to keep up with the “cool set,” and turn to the Web to communicate, stay on top of world happenings or conduct research.

Far too many people view authors as unique beings that have been blessed with superhuman talent, the kind the rest of the world aspires to, but never achieves. It just ain't so. Yes, some have a remarkable ability to place the perfect word in the perfect spot in the perfect manuscript. But most just plug away to the best of their ability, repaid generously by the satisfaction they savor from sharing their thoughts. For those of us who have reached retirement and at last have the time to devote to our writing, these can be some of the happiest times of our life.

Writers enjoy an easy lifestyle without working very hard - Hardly so. With rare exceptions, the majority of writers eke out a living. Many work a full-time job to meet expenses, and write in their free time. 

The writer's life is glamorous and fun - Only the best seller stars enjoy the elegant parties you read about. For most, the routine is rather solitary. Tucked away to avoid interruptions and glued to a computer, most of us cherish our time alone. That is when we are most productive.

Writers are born, not created - That's nice to think, but not very realistic. Yes, we have different degrees of inherent talent,  but with honest effort and good deal of work at the computer, almost anyone can become a writer. That certainly doesn't guarantee placement on a best seller list, but it can ensure seeing your hard work in print. 

The best way to learn to write is to study the style of a successful writer and copy it - Absolutely wrong. The key is to develop your own unique, individual style. It must come from inside you to be authentic and effective.

There is nothing original left to write - That statement is true, but of little concern. What you must seek is the originality that derives from the unique treatment you give a subject or a story. Even the US government, often insensitive, understands that. That's why you can't copyright a subject, only the way in which you write about that subject.

Teachers seem to teach one style of writing, but often writers break all those rules - So many of the old saws one hears in school are archaic. Following them can make your prose stilted and far too formalized. Here are a few examples: Never start a sentence with a conjunction. Good advice generally, but there are many times when it makes sense to break the rule to help coordinate your sentences and help the flow. Don't use contractions. There are many times when contractions are needed to help convey the character of the speaker. And so on and on. Listen well in school, but then use those rules judiciously. 

Writer's Block, the worst of the myths - This is one far too many authors use as a crutch when words or thoughts aren't flowing well. Sometimes it's the result of a physical condition like exhaustion or a severe distraction. More commonly, it's the tell-tale that indicates the writer hasn't done adequate research, and doesn't know the subject well enough. Go back and fill in the knowledge gaps. Then plunge ahead. Write. Get the words down on paper even if you're not thrilled with them, and soon you'll find they're beginning to flow smoothly. If still not satisfied, work at them again. Rewriting and editing are two of the key tools in a serious author's chest. Use them.

No matter what the issue, mirrors and gimmicks always seem to veil the truth along the Beltway. Last week, the Senate passed authorization for the safe and legal importing of prescription drugs from foreign countries, a controversial, but badly needed move, that has been bandied around for years. However, before this much-needed change could be implemented, an amendment was passed that undermined its value.

In an obvious effort to block the program, the amendment prohibits these drug imports unless the Secretary of Health and Human Services certifies that they are safe. Once again the Bush administration and its legislative allies protected their major campaign donors at the expense of Mr. and Ms. Joe Taxpayer. They moved swiftly to shield the pharmaceutical industry from competition that might reduce their astronomical profits and the size of their donations to the politicos.

Blocking drug imports places a particularly onerous burden on seniors on fixed incomes who find it impossible to meet their financial obligations because of the sky-high cost of their prescription drugs. Prices for brand name drugs in the United States are among the highest in the world.

Now it's up to the House of Representatives to correct this sham. We'll soon see whether they have the guts to do it.